Overview

Welcome to the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit (AGTRU) of the University of the Witwatersrand and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC).

Investigation by the AGTRU team is focused on countering viral infections that cause serious health problems in sub Saharan Africa. The long term objectives of AGTRU are to advance gene therapy for treatment of viral infections, develop human capacity in the field through the training of young scientists, and to translate the unit’s technologies into products. Research activities are generously supported by South African and International funding agencies. South African and international partnerships have been established, and these are an important contributor to the group’s resource base. AGTRU is equipped as a modern molecular biology research laboratory and has expertise in a range of techniques. These are advanced methods of nucleic acid manipulation, gene transfer to mammalian cells, and use of lipoplex and recombinant viral vectors. AGTRU is set up to investigate efficacy of antiviral compounds in vivo in murine (e.g. HBV transgenic mice) and cell culture models of viral replication.